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The renaissance of Royal Enfield has been exceptional to witness over the previous couple of years as a model that was as soon as mocked for its old school throwbacks has change into envied for its development and gross sales success. Now it’s making ready to take one other big leap ahead by introducing water-cooled, DOHC machines that throw off any lingering sense that Royal Enfield is an anachronism.
The bike you see right here, was noticed in Spain close to the Idiada check facility south of Barcelona, which is a large testing floor for automobiles and bikes that has lengthy been favored by manufacturers akin to Triumph and KTM for its year-round good climate. With a lot of Royal Enfields’ workers at its UK-based R&D facility having historical past at Triumph’s manufacturing unit, located only a few minutes’ drive away, maybe it must be no shock that the corporate is utilizing the identical proving grounds. With no branding or logos, you in all probability wouldn’t guess that the machine was a Royal Enfield. First, there’s no old school air-cooled engine, and the styling isn’t overtly retro. It’s an easy roadster-style machine with a midsized, fashionable single-cylinder engine that might as simply be a Japanese or Italian mannequin as one which’s set to be manufactured in India.
It’s a Royal Enfield, nevertheless, and we perceive that the brand new engine has a capability of round 450cc. The identical motor was noticed earlier this 12 months in England, when Royal Enfield was caught evaluating its next-generation Himalayan journey bike, which can even use it. On this occasion, the extra customary fashion of the bike it’s fitted to, has sparked solutions that it’s the alternative for the Himalayan-based Scram 411. Though using 17-inch alloy wheels as a substitute of 19-inch entrance / 17-inch rear wirespoke models of the Scram 411 eliminates any lingering “scrambler” parts, so a special identify would possibly make extra sense. Royal Enfield has a hoard of unused logos together with Constellation, Flea, Flying Flea, Sherpa, Roadster and Shotgun (given the usual look of this bike, the easy “Roadster” would possibly swimsuit it).
Though designed at RE’s R&D facility within the UK, the bike clearly has the Indian market in thoughts. There’s a saree guard fitted on the left-hand aspect beneath the passenger seat to cease lengthy clothes from getting tangled within the rear wheel or chain—one thing that’s often current on Indian-market bikes—however given Royal Enfield’s international presence, any new mannequin is prone to seem in all markets as soon as launched.
When it comes to specs, there’s hypothesis that the single-cylinder engine makes round 40 to 45 hp, which is a large step up in comparison with the 24.3 hp of the present Scram 411′s 411cc, air-cooled, SOHC single. Nevertheless, the truth that the entrance brake seems to be carried over from the prevailing Scram, with a two-piston sliding caliper and single 300mm disc on the entrance, suggests the efficiency isn’t excessive sufficient to benefit stronger stoppers. The body is a steel-tube design that seems to be an identical to the chassis featured on the next-gen Himalayan, however will get a straight, cast-alloy swingarm the place the Himlayan’s curves downwards so as to add extra floor clearance. The bike in these photos has a less complicated, customary fork as a substitute of the inverted one seen on spy footage of the subsequent Himalayan. Though largely hidden in these photos, the rear suspension is catered for by a surprisingly lengthy monoshock that’s mounted virtually horizontally, instantly connecting the swingarm to the body with none rising-rate linkage.
A number of parts of the bike look to be near manufacturing. The headlight, for example, is a stylized unit with a horizontal break up between the higher and decrease sections and is predicted to be shared with the approaching Himalayan. It’s flanked by LED flip alerts, matched by related models on the rear, whereas the gas tank additionally appears much like the design seen on prototypes for the Himalayan’s alternative. The exhaust, full with warmth shields and catalytic converter, additionally appears showroom prepared, suggesting that the mechanical aspect of the bike’s growth is basically full.
Nevertheless, there are a number of parts of the bike in these footage which are nonetheless very a lot within the prototype stage. There aren’t any devices, for example, and the bars are mounted on momentary, adjustable risers to assist set up the driving place. The mirror mounts are additionally prototypes designed to supply in depth adjustment for width and peak, serving to to nail down the design parameters for the ultimate models, and the pillion footpegs are bolted to bodged, naked metal brackets, once more indicating the manufacturing components haven’t been finalized but.
Earlier prototypes of the water-cooled Himalayan alternative and this extra road-oriented mannequin have been noticed in India early this 12 months however since neither mannequin has appeared as a part of Royal Enfield’s 2023 vary, they’re anticipated to have a number of months’ extra growth forward of them earlier than they’re formally launched, in all probability in late 2023, as key parts of the corporate’s 2024 line-up.
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