Sports biking in our country has been a choice for the youth for more than a decade now but in the middle of silence of touring segment bikes there made an overwhelming comeback of CAFÉ RACER from the British Manufacturer Royal Enfield. Yes this time I got my hands on the Flagship model from Royal Enfield i.e. Continental GT. The concept of higher cubic capacity was more or less introduced by the RE team in our country and now let’s have a look upon the potential of this 535cc bike which is well dignified among motorbike lovers and an excellent craftsmanship of Mechanical Engineering.
Features:-
1) Looks:-
The very first look itself distinguish this bike from the fleet. Unlike the other motorbike from the manufacturer this bike intensifies the feeling that it is meant for sheer adrenaline rush and not for cruising on long journeys. Earlier the colour option was Red and Yellow only but now even much more luring Black Colour has also joined its fleet. Sporting a CAFÉ RACER silhouette, Semi Digital Console, Twin Clip Handle bars and the Gas Filled Rear Shocks Canister adds profusely to its appearance. Featuring all spoke wheel does justify its classic appearance. The signature Royal Enfield on the tank adds to its brand value and is the subject of where the company’s endeavor is concerned nowadays. Underneath the tank lies the heart of the machine “The 535cc chrome plated Engine” portrays magnificently the actual robustness of the engine. At the first glance the complete metallic body increases the gravity of the bike and this is what the other bikes which are made of more of fiber components indeed gives them a speculative second thought about being a motorbike for men or not? Nevertheless looks are subjective to different people but the design language is noteworthy.
2) Design and Ergonomics:-
Featuring a sportier riding position and absence of pillion rider seat, the bike is well suited for dedicated riders. Twin clip handle bars sharing the rear view mirror along the edge of it, the petrol tank design being smaller lacks the easy grip. The brand being eminent for designing bikes for tall and macho people, this bike indeed portrays the same ideology, after all 184kgs of kerb weight does test the level of fitness one enjoys. Overall the design is neither track focused nor touring ready as other RE bikes boasts of 20litres fuel tank capacity hitherto 13.5litres. This bike very prompt for short rides can serve the purpose of straight line drag races as the design juxtapose the same. The foot pegs are set quite backwards usually meant for boasting cornering abilities but the increased weight does not provide much confidence for such nifty curves and corners. The handle bars are not much friendly for the wrists as it tends to develop fatigue more often during mild traffic. As of now it is quite lucid that why it requires utmost dedication & passion for an RE owner to ride this bike.
3) Performance:-
On the very moment as I started the bike 535cc engine came to life and I could feel the heat. The sound of the bike was more or less the same as of Enfield but yes the feel was different. I being a person who loves instantaneous acceleration and this bike was not reluctant to give a wide grin on my face. The response of the throttle was quite good and on the very first gear itself the bike was able to climb up to 50kmph on the speedo and on the second gear it went up till 80kmph. As I tried to go even further on the first gear but there was some kind of knocking sound from the engine which made me to shift to higher gear, might be some problem with the bike. Coming to the braking department the 300mm 2 Piston floating calliper Brembo Disc brakes in the front and 240mm 1 Piston floating calliper Disc brake in the rear does a commendable job.
The power packed 535cc mill churning out 29.1bhp @5100rpm and 44nm@4000rpm with Fuel Injection Technology underneath delivers the momentum instantaneously. The bikes craves for more of straight line drags other than making twisting cuts in heavily trafficked road. Everything on this bike is tuned to give ultimate riding experience be it the suspension setup, throttle response or braking but with a conditional clause with it i.e. pot holes free roads for the best experience.
\”Bend to the front and keep your wrists angle with the handle bars to the minimum and a straight liner highway is where one can derive the peak performance and best class experience of power packed thumping engine of the Royal Enfield Continental GT.\”
4) Maintenance & After Sales Service:-
One thing is very much sure after me having visited the service centre of Royal Enfield that one must learn to enjoy visiting the pit stop frequently…J anyways just kidding. With the company planning aggressively to dominate the middle level segment i.e. 350cc to 500cc therefore building a Brand Loyalty is the utmost concern. After sales service is the area which can lead a company to reach the corner stone of having maximum sale with increased customer satisfaction.
Coming to maintaining an Enfield one must know the basic troubleshooting of the bike for one’s ease. The sales and service quality mostly varies the cities one lives in. As of Chennai the service people are quite nifty in handling your queries, moreover with three manufacturing plants in the city, parts availability is never a problem.
5) Mileage:-
This term more often used by our elder generation, is exactly a need of the hour to ponder upon before buying any 2 wheelers. Housing a massive engine loaded with technology such as Fuel Injection one expect it to return somewhat around 25-30kmpl. Since my test ride was not long enough to be able to calculate the actual figure, the realistic data can be tabulated after extensive rides in various conditions.
Being the pioneer of Café Racer segment in our country with almost negligible competition from Splendor Pro Classic indeed Royal Enfield team has explored a new dimension and could presumably set a new benchmark with its complete set of performance bikes. Would like to hear more from all of you & especially the riders of RE.
Signing Off:-
Md. Afzal Ansari
B.E. Mechanical Engineer
Ride safe, ride long!