DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED IN THE UK
Royal Enfield’s new 648cc engine is the first product from their new UK tech centre in Leicestershire. Recently opened to the world’s press, Bike gained exclusive access ahead of this official launch for an in-depth nose about – and were the first people outside RE to see the new 650, where we grabbed this shot (left). Responsible for design and development of future models, it’s very impressive. We’ve seen inside other manufacturers but the new multi-million-pound set-up looks another step on. It’s breathtaking. After a period in rented offices in Leicester, the new tech centre opened on 8 May this year. Original plans were for 30 to 40 staff, but there are now 110 employees and RE are still recruiting – they expect to be at 130 in the new year. The upper level is office, with two engine teams, five chassis teams, dedicated folk on accessories, plus design, computer-aided engineering and analysis. They sit above bright, spotless workshops with dedicated areas for metalwork, electrics, chassis and industrial design. There’s a separate dyno building we were allowed exclusive access to, with two chassis dynos, a rolling road plus a sealed ‘shed’ for in-depth emission testing. And a 10,000-litre fuel tank. We’ll have all the details and a full tour of RE’S new tech centre next month.