Royal Enfield, the English heritage brand that moved to India around 50 years ago, has launched its new café racer, the Continental GT – named after a model sold from the English factory in the 1960s.
Under the rider is a re-engineered Bullet engine, with a 535cc capacity and fuel injection, matched to a five-speed transmission with wet clutch. Power is a modest 29hp. The chassis is by renowned English specialist Harris Performance. It features 41mm conventional forks, twin Paoili rear shock absorbers and Brembo disc brakes. It has a top speed of around 150km/h with the not-too-loud factory performance pipe fitted. The Continental GT 535 weighs more than the Bullet 350, the lightest motorcycle in the Royal Enfield range, and one that weighs 180 kilograms. A 13.5 liter fuel tank, instrumentation that includes a speedometer and tachometer, and disc brakes at both ends round off the equipment list on the Continental GT 535. Both the front and rear disc brakes features a floating set up, with double and single calipers respectively.
The transmission is a highlight, light and accurate in its action. The steering is light and sharp, grip is decent thanks in part to the Pirelli sport rubber, and suspension is firm. The package weighs a claimed 184kg with 90 per cent fuel, seat height is 800mm and fuel capacity is 13.5 litres. More to come from its introduction here in Malaysia soon.
