RIDE’S month in bikes
Two models sharing a brand-new parallel twin – and all developed in Leicestershire
MEET ROYAL ENFIELD’S
new multicylinder machines: the traditional Interceptor and the café-racer Continental GT. What separates them from the rest of the firm’s range is that they’re powered by a completely new 648cc parallel twin, which hopes to expand Enfield’s retro charm to a wider audience. The motor is air-cooled, uses a single overhead cam, produces 47bhp and has a 270° crank to give the same sound and feel as a 90° V-twin. It drives through a new six-speed gearbox and a slip/assist clutch, which claims a light lever action, “notch-free” shifts and no wheel hopping on rushed downchanges.
The chassis has been developed in partnership with Harris Performance, the legendary British racing, tuning and engineering firm bought by Royal Enfield back in 2015. But there’s a further link to Britain: though they’re manufactured in India, these 650s have been tested and developed at Royal Enfield’s new UK Technology Centre in Leicestershire. Based at Bruntingthrope Aerodrome, a former WWII airfield, the company employs around 120 engineers, including former Triumph and Ducati staff. The Interceptor has an upright riding position with wide bars, and also uses a one-piece seat, 18in spoked wheels and disc brakes at both ends and a 13.7-litre fuel tank. Kerb weight is around 212kg. The Continental GT has lower, more tightly angled clip-on bars, a solo seat, rearset pegs and a smaller 12.5-litre tank. Fuelled weight is around 5kg less, at 207kg. Pricing and availability are both yet to be confirmed.